How to Identify the Cassiopeia Constellation

Innovations of Employee Benefits Essays - 1876 Words

The succeeding paragraphs will explain how innovations in employee benefits can improve the overall competitive compensation strategy of the organization. In order to maintain their competitive edge, companies need to fully understand that as the needs of their employee’s change, so does their benefit plans. Companies need to find innovative ways of engaging employees that encourage and support their commitment and improve their performance. The first way is by helping the company to attract and retain talent. A company is only as good as its workforce so having an innovative benefit plan will help to attract high potential candidates and also retain them within the organization. McKeown, J. (2002) states that, â€Å"Effective retention begins†¦show more content†¦The third way is to help the company to increase productivity. Employees can tend to lose focus on their work when they are having issues with their personal life. An innovative benefit plan can afford employees with the flexibility to handle these issues in order to give the employees more availability to concentrate on their work. This also causes employees to believe that their company cares for their overall wellbeing, creating loyalty amongst the employees which will in addition increases overall productivity, but retention as well. The fourth way is to help the company increase employee commitment and engagement. In addition to increasing productivity, companies want to ensure that their employees are committed and engaged to the organization. This will produce employees that put more effort and take pride even in the smallest of tasks, employees that are constantly thinking of ways to better improve their productivity, and employees that motivate and inspire other employees that may have a negative attitude about the organization. The fifth way is to help the company to reduce health care costs. The lack of control and employee has over their own job has been believed to lead to serious health conditions. Employers are coming to the realization that in order to get a handle on health care issues, they need to take a more activeShow MoreRelatedNew And Improved Rewards At Work. Creating And Implementing1534 Words   |  7 Pagesto boost employee morale and to allow their employees â€Å"me time†. Throughout the course of this paper, I will determine how innovations in employee benefits can improve the overall competitive compensation strategy of the organization. Next, I will explain how innovative benefits could be tied to specific jobs. Thirdly, I will critique the effectiveness of equity-based rewards systems versus those with more creative approaches. Then, I will discuss the key elements of integrating innovation into a traditionalRead MoreEssay Total Rewards1510 Words   |  7 PagesInnovative emp loyee rewards are designed to boost employee morale and in some cases helped to increase personal goal accomplishments within the company. This paper will attempt to explore the challenges faced with employee rewards and how innovations in employee benefits can improve the overall competitive compensation strategy of the organization. NEW AND IMPROVED REWARDS AT WORK 3 Determine how innovations in employee benefitsRead MoreBenefits Of Employee Lifestyle Choices And Health Economics1113 Words   |  5 Pages-Suggest one (1) plan that you would use to purchase health insurance for your organization. Determine the extent to which employee lifestyle choices and health economics would factor in to your chosen plan. Provide a rationale for your response. I will use Innovation Health plan for my organization (Innovation health, n.d). According to Innovation Health (n.d), â€Å"Innovation Health is the result of a unique partnership between two industry leaders: Inova and Aetna. Inova is a nationally recognizedRead MoreHrm 533 Total Rewards1633 Words   |  7 PagesDetermine how innovations in employee benefits can improve the overall competitive compensation strategy of the organization. A competitive organization understands the need for a skilled and loyal workforce. In order to attract and retain top talent, many organizations offer innovative and creative employee benefit packages. It enhances an attractive salary and creates a niche for the employer. An organization that is aware of the dynamics of its workforce will be in step with the innovations in employeeRead MoreEssay On Total Rewards1380 Words   |  6 PagesDepending on the job, benefits can differentiate a, by attracting top talent. The days are diminishing when employees feel that traditional benefits will do justice. Employees who offer success, want more than the typical health insurance and retirement savings plan. Different workers want and different things out of their benefits, which is why companies need their benefit package a bit more tailed-made, to meet the need of all employees within the company. According to Rose Stanley, a total rewardsRead MoreNew and Improved Rewards at Work1627 Wor ds   |  7 Pagesto determine how innovations in employee benefits can improve the overall competitive compensation strategy of the organization. Then, it explains how innovative benefits could be tied to specific jobs. After that, it critiques the effectiveness of equity-based rewards systems versus those with more creative approaches and discusses the key elements of integrating innovation into a traditional total rewards program. And last, it recommends a process that optimizes an employee-based suggestionRead MoreThe Leadership Skills Of The Workplace1545 Words   |  7 PagesInnovation in the workplace is a competitive force that give businesses like Apple and Samsung a competitive advantage over other competitors. Innovation is not a new concept for businesses in the workplace, it has been around for a long time. However, businesses are focusing on innovation because they understand the key benefits of innovation. Innovation is supported in organizations through differen t leadership practices. Discover skills are important in the business and help drive innovation forRead MoreCompensation Is A Critical Component Of A Strong Hr Strategy Essay1423 Words   |  6 Pagesadditional costs incurred in offering the product. It is important to find a way to encourage the creativity and collaboration needs to move the agenda forward for companies that are developing an innovation strategy. It is critical to recognize and reward the risk associated with a focus on innovation. Not every idea is going to work right away and team members have to be comfortable trying and failing. The initial pay structure has to be good enough that employees do not need to think about salaryRead MoreEssay on Human Resource Roles and Responsibilities743 Words   |  3 Pagesindividuals. Human resource management focuses on securing, maintaining, and utilizing an effective work force, which organizations cannot survive without. Human resource management can also be described as the relationship between the employer and the employee. There are basic functions all managers perform which are planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. These represent what is often called the management process. Staffing, personnel management, or human resource management is the functionRead MoreIndustries Are In A Changing Cycle And Every Day Is A Mission1526 Words   |  7 Pagesevery day is a mission to survive in the business world. Historically, the innovation at Microsoft was driven by one person (Bill Gates) without any consideration of the other employee s ideas. The whole company relied on one person to generate ideas to develop products and services. Then the Innovation Team at Microsoft realized the current situation of the competitors evolution and the need for the grassroots innovation implementation as a new horizon to gain ideas within the firm. Of course,

Freedom of Religion- Free-Samples for Students-Myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Freedom of Religion. Answer: Introduction: In Australia, very limited number of freedoms is stated in the constitution, and one freedom which is directly protected by the constitution in Australia is the freedom of religion choice. This freedom of religious choice is protected by section 116 of the constitution. This section of constitution is of very high importance because this section ensures that Parliament will observe the true difference between what property belongs to the church and what to the state. However, it must be noted that this section not always ensures religious freedom because in the commonwealth structure of Australia Constitution scheduled only those matters on which parliament has power to make laws and in case matter is not within the authority of federal government then parliament has no power to make law on such matters[1]. In this paper we analyze this section on the basis of Three case laws that is Kruger v Commonwealth (1997) 190 CLR 1, Attorney- General (Vic)(Ex rel Black) v Commonwealth (1981) 146 CLR 559 and Krygger v Williams 1912 HC 65 15 CLR 36[2]. This paper also includes following topics history of constitutional provision, detail identification and analysis of stated case laws, comparative analysis how this freedom is regulated in any other country, and whether constitution must be amended as per amended on this particular matter. Subsequently this essay s concluded with brief conclusion. Statutory provision of Section 116: Section 116 of the Commonwealth Constitution impose prohibition on the parliament in Australia to introduce any legislation in order to establish any religion, commanding compliance in relation to religion, and levy prevention on the unrestricted use of any religion, and it also prohibits the religious test for the purpose of qualifying the office in the Commonwealth. This section is also depends on the anti-establishment clause introduced in America in the first amendment and Article VI s3 for the purpose of conducting test related to religion for to taking office. It must be noted that no law has been ever passed which is considered as offensive to the section 116 prohibition. This prohibition only applies to the laws of commonwealth and not to the state laws. This right of religious freedom is considered as fundamental right not only in Australia and also in various international human rights documents such as Article 9(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights for the purpose of protecting the right related to freedom of religion and it also manifest this right in relation of worship or practice, but it subject to limited exceptions[3]. History of Section 116: Constitution of Australia was the hot topic of debate for almost a decade even before it was adoption in the period of 1901. Researchers stated that reference of term God in the Australian constitution were actually given for the purpose of satisfying the religious views of different groups of delegates who participate in the pre-Federation conferences and also include a movement which is conducted for the purpose of recognizing the god in the constitution. During the period of federation in Australia, religious climate has been defined as one which was tolerance based, and on which government was concerned for the advancement of Christian religion or for the anti-sectarian endorsement of religion. It has been argued that religion climate was mainly aims to make sure that religion aspect was tried to keep out of discourse of public and also that consideration related to religious does not affect any policy related to public. Not even on single stage founders of Australian Federal system considered as motivated from the concept of relation between the religion and the state itself was not desirable thing. Originator of section 116 was Tasmanian Attorney-General, Andrew Inglis Clark. However, it was presumed that motivation of Clarks for imposing religious freedom in particular cases was because of his own Unitarian background[4]. Both Edmund Barton and Henry Bournes Higgins were stated that reference to god does not indicate any implicit federal power for legislating in relation to religion and also projected a protection for guaranteeing that it did not occur. It must be noted at initial stage neither the motion nor the safeguard were passed[5]. Identification and analysis of case laws: In case Kruger v Commonwealth (1997) 190 CLR 1, Plaintiff claimed that there was impugned laws which put prohibition on the free exercise of the beliefs related to aboriginal religious by differentiating the individual from their culture of aboriginal in relation of contravention of section 116 of the constitution[6]. Section 116 also prohibits the commonwealth government from prohibiting autonomous of any religion. In this case, Gaudron J stated that section 116 extends various provisions for authorizing acts for the purpose of preventing freely chosen of any religion. Gaudron J also put rejection on the approach of Griffith CJ stated by him at earlier stage which he adopted in Krygger v Williams who stated that only those laws breach section 116 which put direct prohibition on religious practices. Her Honour further prepared for the purpose of assuming that exercise of power stated under the peoples ordinance which prevents particular number of people from freely following their re ligion which was aboriginal culture and practices with the other of their community. She stated the issue whether these restrictions could ever be justified. In Australia, freedom of religion is considered as absolute freedom. Particularly, section 116 is only infringes by law if purpose of that law is to put prohibition on the free exercise of a religion. However, for the purpose of ascertaining true motive of any law test was conducted by Gaudron J, and this test is known as test of proportionality. Any law will not be considered as law for the purpose of prohibiting the autonomous of any religion, but in actual it does just that or operates with consequences in direct manner. It is necessary to fulfill some overriding public purposes and to satisfy some pressing social needs. Such law does not have any affect if such law is passed for specific purpose and does not connect with the religious freedom and affects that freedom in any way. In this case, Gaudron J stated that claim filed by plaintiff could not be considered at this stage of trial because there are number of questions of facts and law had to be resolved such as whether aboriginal religion was actually impeded and pleading must be entered only for the actual purpose of the ordinance[7]. In this case, Toohey stated that section 116 was actually directed for the purpose of law making of law rather than law administration? Therefore any anti-religious purposes have to be evinced from the statue face, and this interpretation makes section 116 less effective in relation to provide guarantee of freedom religion. It is necessary that law must provide ostensible purpose of inhibiting religious practice, instead of affecting the inhibiting religious freedom before it can be found that law breached section 116. In this case, judges duly decided that language of that particular ordinance does not show any purpose of restricting the religious freedom of aboriginals. Brennan CJ, Dawson and Gummow JJ agreed with this decision, and stated that Section 116 does not restrict any power of legislative nature under section 112 because of the plenary nature of that power. Claim made by plaintiff under section 116 have been failed with the majority confirming its apparent limited liability[8]. Attorney- General (Vic)(Ex rel Black) v Commonwealth (1981) 146 CLR 559, is the only case where the scope of establishment clause was considered with respect to organizations known as defense of government schools[9]. In this case the federal funding which religious organizations operate was challenged by organization. In this case, it was stated by the high court that the establishment clause is not violated by such funding as it was used for the purpose of education purposes conventional in nature. Setting strict, restrictive and high threshold has been pointed out as the main cause in support of this case. In this case it was held by the majority that only prohibitions are imposed on the commonwealth by the establishment clause with respect to enacting any provisions that create religion or national church with purpose It has to be considered that ongoing strong point of the authority in relation to the decision provided in DOGS case has been subjected to questions, and one primary cause behind this was that the case had been decided in 1981 and as a result the High Court has accepted a more liberal approach for interpreting safeguards and constitutional rights. However, such narrow interpretation makes the interpretation clause meaningless clause because such interpretation only ban the Federal government creating a national church as it would have no powers. However, the argument regarding the capability of Section 116 with respect to application of any law which may have a binding effect and not merely for establishing a religion, imposing provisions on religions, stating religious test and preventing unrestricted use of religion has been provided through this case. In the case of Krygger v Williams 1912, it was provided by the High court that any provisions which needs turnout at essential harmony military exercise by persons who refuse this exercise on ongoing basis in relation to religious grounds. Further it had been stated by the court that such provision provides for turnout at essential harmony military exercise does not violate the unrestricted implementation of section 116. Thus any provisions which necessitates the public to a particular performance which has no relation to religion in any express or implied way is not preventing the public from an unrestricted use of religion. In the given case, it was further stated by Griffith CJ that if any provisions necessitates the public to commit a specific act which is forbidden by their religion then the specific act can be objected on ethical grounds, however it cannot be considered to be falling under the scope of prohibitions related to Section 116. It was suggested by the statements made by Griffith CJ that unrestrictive use clause is only in relation to those particular clauses through which religious practices are banned or prohibition with respect to the exercise of any religion is made. With respect to the case of Jehovahs Witnesses, the ban of Jehovahs Witness was challenged under defense provisions. The group doctrine was made illegal as an effect of this ban and it was not legally published or printed with respect to their belief or held meetings conducted meeting advocating such belief. In case the regulations in question were not consistent with the National Security Act 1939 (Cth) and, in addition, not within the defense authority in s 51(vi) of the Constitution, the decision given for with respect to the interpretations of s 116. However, a broad view with respect to the free exercise clause was taken by the Judges of Jehovahs Witnesses case, in addition it was also assumed by them that a facially-neutral regulation which has been engaged at the overpowering of dissident organizations, and putting burden on the religion as a result of its effects, then the law is effected by such clause. United States constitution and Section 116 Comparison: It has been stated by Article VI of the United States Constitution that with respect to any qualification for any public trust or office under the United States no religious test is required. This is not an accidental similarity between the United States and Australian constitution. In Australia, 19th Century was highly affected from the history of religious conflict of sectarianism and religious oppression. There is also a little difference between both the constitutions such as in America experience of the persecution of minority religious sects had been considered as directly relevant to the original founding and in some cases religious freedom as consequence was already get protection in various state constitutions and some constitutions include the requirement related to religious test for public tests. On the other hand, in Australia it was sectarianism in which conflict is arise between the Protestants and Catholics which actually raised concerns and also provide historical backgrounds for the framers of Australia's Constitution. Till the period of 1890 there are number of Australian communities which faced sectarian issue and especially focused on questions of state financial aid to schools. After the period of 1870 when colonial parliaments initiate to pass laws for compulsory education for the purpose of refusing financial aid to religious or parochial schools[10]. Recommendations: However, it is necessary to extend the scope of section 116 because this section is no more than limit on commonwealth power, and it also not guarantee religious freedom to the citizens of Australia. As peer this section commonwealth cannot impose any restriction on the religious right of person but such restriction can be imposed in other forms. This section also allowed some other law to be part of any law which is against the section 116 but fulfills any aim of commonwealth. Therefore, it is necessary that constitution must widen up its scope and also prohibits other laws and practices which infringes the religious rights of any person. Conclusion: In this paper, it can be concluded that the scope of Section 116 of the Australian constitution based on three case laws, and as per this report, section 116 of the Commonwealth Constitution prohibits the parliament in Australia to pass any law for the purpose of imposing religious observance, establishing the religion, preventing the unrestrictive use of any religion, and it also prohibits any religious test from being compulsory as a qualification for office in the Commonwealth. This section allowed the Parliament for observing the true difference between what properly belongs to the church and what to the state. After analyzing all the above facts of this essay it is clear that, it is necessary to extend the scope of section 116 because this section is no more than limit on commonwealth power, and it also not guarantee religious freedom to the citizens of Australia. As per this section commonwealth cannot impose any restriction on the religious right of person but such restriction can be imposed in other forms. Therefore, it is concluded that Section 116 does not provide any guarantee to the freedom of religion to Australian citizens References: ALRC, Freedom of Religion, https://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/protections-statutory-encroachment-22#_ftn29, Accessed on 18th June 2017. Anthony Gray, Section 116 Of The Australian Constitution And Dress Restrictions, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/DeakinLawRw/2011/15.pdf, Accessed on 18th June 2017. APH, Freedom of religion and Belief in Australia https://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/wopapub/house/committee/jfadt/Religion/relchap4_pdf.ashx, Accessed on 18th June 2017. Attorney- General (Vic)(Ex rel Black) v Commonwealth (1981) 146 CLR 559. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION ACT - SECT 116. Ethical rights, Freedom of Religion, https://www.ethicalrights.com/submissions/freedom-of-religion/68-religion-and-the-state-constitution-roles-and-responsibilities, Accessed on 18th June 2017. Forum on Public policy. Religious Freedom and Section 116 of the Australian Constitution: Would a Banning of the Hijab or Burqa Be Constitutionally Valid, https://forumonpublicpolicy.com/vol2011.no2/archivevol2011.no2/gray.pdf, Accessed on 18th June 2017. High Court of Australia, Kruger v Commonwealth [1997] HCA 27; (1997) 190 CLR 1; (1997) 146 ALR 126; (1997) 71 ALJR 991 (31 July 1997), https://www.asser.nl/upload/documents/DomCLIC/Docs/NLP/Australia/Kruger_High_Court_31-07-1997.pdf, Accessed on 18th June 2017. Kruger v Commonwealth (1997) 190 CLR 1. Krygger v Williams (1915) 15 CLR 366, 369. Luke Beck, The Establishment Clause of the Australian Constitution: Three Propositions and a Case Study [2014] Adelaide Law Review 225, 2256. Meredith Doig , (2014), Clause in the Australian and United States constitutions, https://www.rationalist.com.au/same-difference-a-comparison-of-the-establishment-clause-in-the-australian-and-united-states-constitutions/, Accessed on 18th June 2017. Sarah Joseph, Kruger v Commonwealth: Constitutional Rights and the Stolen Generations, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/MonashULawRw/1998/18.pdf, Accessed on 18th June 2017. [1] Ethical rights, Freedom of Religion, https://www.ethicalrights.com/submissions/freedom-of-religion/68-religion-and-the-state-constitution-roles-and-responsibilities, Accessed on 18th June 2017 [2] Krygger v Williams (1915) 15 CLR 366, 369. [3] Forum on Public policy. Religious Freedom and Section 116 of the Australian Constitution: Would a Banning of the Hijab or Burqa Be Constitutionally Valid, https://forumonpublicpolicy.com/vol2011.no2/archivevol2011.no2/gray.pdf, Accessed on 18th June 2017. [4] APH, Freedom of religion and Belief in Australia https://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/wopapub/house/committee/jfadt/Religion/relchap4_pdf.ashx, Accessed on 18th June 2017. [5] Anthony Gray, Section 116 Of The Australian Constitution And Dress Restrictions, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/DeakinLawRw/2011/15.pdf, Accessed on 18th June 2017. [6] Kruger v Commonwealth (1997) 190 CLR 1 [7] Sarah Joseph, Kruger v Commonwealth: Constitutional Rights and the Stolen Generations, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/MonashULawRw/1998/18.pdf, Accessed on 18th June 2017. [8] High Court of Australia, Kruger v Commonwealth [1997] HCA 27; (1997) 190 CLR 1; (1997) 146 ALR 126; (1997) 71 ALJR 991 (31 July 1997), https://www.asser.nl/upload/documents/DomCLIC/Docs/NLP/Australia/Kruger_High_Court_31-07-1997.pdf, Accessed on 18th June 2017. [9] Attorney- General (Vic)(Ex rel Black) v Commonwealth (1981) 146 CLR 559 [10] Meredith Doig , (2014), Clause in the Australian and United States constitutions, https://www.rationalist.com.au/same-difference-a-comparison-of-the-establishment-clause-in-the-australian-and-united-states-constitutions/, Accessed on 18th June 2017.

The Devil and Tom Walker Essay Example For Students

The Devil and Tom Walker Essay Steven Neale 1/18/00The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving, The Ministers Black Veil, by Hawthorne, and The Crucible, by Arthur Miller all share similar themes and they all use different genres and forms to help express the storys theme. The three stories all comment on Puritan beliefs and the nature of man, and they deal with the fear of the unknown and not wanting to face the truths. The Devil and Tom Walker is a folk tale, which uses satire to describe Puritan beliefs. The Ministers Black Veil is a parable and an allegory, where the people and objects in the story all symbolize something. The Crucible is a historical drama, which deals with Puritan beliefs directly and in a serious matter. We will write a custom essay on The Devil and Tom Walker specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The Devil and Tom Walker is a folk tale which teaches a lesson and uses stock characters. The idea of stock characters is present in the character of Tom, meaning he never undergoes any change throughout the story. This story uses a lot of imagery and alliteration to help describe the forest and Toms house.For example, when Tom is walking through the woods, it is described, as a place that is â€Å"dark at noonday† and â€Å"the swamp was thickly grown with great gloomy pines and hemlocks.† The author gives a dark mood to the story by using so much imagery with the forest. When Tom makes the deal with the Devil and begins to make money and not care about anything else, the author is mocking society and its obsession with material things like money. Tom doesnt even care when he finds out his wife was killed by the Devil, he even makes a joke saying she probably gave him a good fight.The story takes place just outside of Boston in the woods and it also deals with the pres ence of the Devil, which shows its relationship with the Crucible. Tom is also recognized as a violent churchgoer and he only goes to church for his benefit, he is only looking for protection from the Devil. Ironically just before the Devil comes to take Tom he was foreclosing on a mans house, who said, You made so much money out of me, and Tom responds, The Devil take me if I have made a farthing. Also when Tom seeks his bibles for protection from the Devil he is unable to retrieve both of them, so he gained no protection from God, and the Devil he made a deal with took him to hell. Irving is saying some people become so concerned with acquiring money and power that they forget to be compassionate with other people. Irving uses examples of hyperbole and writes using satire to get his point across that society is obsessed with money. He also creates a dark, gloomy feeling throughout the story just like in The Ministers Black Veil. The ministers Black Veil is a parable, meaning it illustrates a lesson and it is also an allegorical story. The way Hawthorne chooses to tell the story is very important. He tells it in third person limited, through the eyes of the parishioners.In doing so we never find out the truth about the veil and it becomes a mystery to everyone around him. The main symbol in the story is the veil, which represents death and darkness. Also the veil symbolizes the secret of sin.At one point he even says, If I hide my face for sorrow, there is cause enough, and if I cover it for secret of sin, what moral might not do the same.The veil basically ends his life, his love left him for it and many others feel uncomfortable around him with it on.The veil also is the antagonist of the story because it creates change among the parishioners, who are the protagonists. The veil is unknown to the town and even the reader, which brings up the point of the fear of the unknown and the nature of man. The story a lso presents the idea of isolation, Mr. Hooper is isolated because he is different that everyone else, similar to John Proctor in The Crucible. .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 , .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 .postImageUrl , .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 , .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92:hover , .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92:visited , .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92:active { border:0!important; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92:active , .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92 .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u44595ddb26e6872081bd4182a1513f92:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Prevalent Issues of Surrogate Parenting EssayThe Crucible is a historical story dealing with

Managerial Research Findings

Introduction Managers play pivotal roles in the success of organisations. To ensure that they have theoretical paradigms, which while applied help them to continue to realise success, a large scholarly body of knowledge has evolved seeking to study and or give insights to the most acceptable roles and functions of managers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managerial Research Findings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a more interactive way, management refers to â€Å"human action, including design, to facilitate the production of useful outcomes from a system† (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin Cardy 2008, p.20). In the realisation of this goal, managers organise six M’s- men and women, machines, markets, money, methods, and materials such that the M’s operate in harmony in favour of organisational objectives, missions, goals, and aims (Marshall Stewart 1981, p.177). In this extent, the work of managem ent encompasses utilisation of resources that are available at the disposal of an organisation to aid in the realisation of the objectives of the organisation. Many of the scholars in the field of management contend that the work of management involves tasks such as directing, controlling, organising, monitoring, and motivating among others. Findings indicate that managers have central roles to play in fostering employees’ relations through harnessing their (employees) cultural diversities in an organisation, creating appropriate organisational behaviours that are consistent with an organisations’ missions, objectives and strategic goals, and initiating perspectives of social corporate responsibility in the effort to ensure that all organisations’ stakeholders are satisfied with the organisation. In the execution of these tasks, managers must utilise their knowledge on fundamental functions that they serve within an organisation- controlling, directing, organisi ng, and planning (Hales 1986, p.89). Ensuring that all these functions are integrated within the management body demands the possession of good communication skills. This paper discusses and justifies social corporate responsibility and the nature of management role of communication in management as the most crucial findings in the studies of the management work.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nature of Management Work For any upcoming manager, research findings on the nature of the work of management are important. Investors risk their money in the anticipation of future gains. Due to operational dynamics, investors look for various ways of shifting around their money that is committed to investments in the effort to look for a myriad of ways that would yield optimal returns. Research findings in the field of management reflect applicability of a similar analogy in the eva luation of the work of management. Apart from the investment of energies of the managers in the running of an organisation, they have resources, which include people (employees), materials, and time (Mintzberg 1990, p.172) at their disposal, which they must establish appropriate combinations to yield optimal returns for the investors (shareholders in case of company). Being one of the most important resources that are available to an organisation, managers must not only ensure that they have â€Å"the right employees at the right places and at the right time but also focus on improving the resource† (Coli Klidas 1998, p.88). Amid the many ways of accomplishing this requirement, motivation and empowerment are outstanding. Coli and Klidas (1998) studied empowerment as a component of management work. The authors argued that empowerment addresses most of the enduring problems in human resource by enhancing cooperation among various employees coupled with compliance (p.88). In th is extent, empowerment as an essential work of management helps managers to function as catalysts, facilitators, developers of people, and more importantly, coaches of people. However, it is vital to note that this list does not cover totally the roles of empowerment in management work. In today’s work environments, people are required to think more about how certain tasks are to be completed as opposed to engaging more in physical activities (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin Cardy 2008, p.25).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managerial Research Findings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, it is crucial for managers to engage in asking various simulation interrogatives to unveil the solution of how people’s optimal mental work can be realised from them. This way, the work of management appears more of being inclined to facilitation as opposed to decision-making as has been theorised by past literatu re on management work (Tengblad 2006, p.1439). Acting as facilitators, managers have to establish various management approaches that suit the environmental condition of an organisation. In this extent, when an organisation encounters periods of rapid technological changes, when it needs innovations and creativity to create new products while not negating services and periods of low motivations of employees among other challenging situations, managers have no choice rather than advocating for empowerment of employees. This argument calls for incorporation of employees in decision-making process even if it means erosion of the authoritative power of a manager (Coli Klidas 1998, p.90). Therefore, the work of management entails making bold decisions for the benefit of an organisation. While empowerment through delegation is important as suggested by the findings of Coli and Klidas (1998) in their study on empowerment in 10 five-star hotels located in Amsterdam, more current findings in dicate, â€Å"delegation is not enough in today’s knowledge-driven world to have work done through people† (Blalock 2005, p.237). This finding is important since the modern managerial work environments have evolved to encompass more of problem solving, decision-making, and creative thinking tasks.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This argument perhaps complies precisely with the findings of various scholarly findings indicating that successful organisations in the globalisation age needs to cast off traditional approaches of management, which emphasise more on task-oriented mechanistic management that focuses more on controlling. Effecting control is achieved through various mechanisms. Gronn (1983) identifies talk (communication) as one of such mechanisms. The author argues that, in school settings, â€Å"control is an aspect for administration for which talk is a key resource particularly for staff relations, which imply that talk is a key potential instrument of control for both principle and staff in schools† (Gronn 1983, p.1). In this perspective, controlling is a means for making sure that tasks within an organisation are accomplished through specified processes and methods. Thus, it is a mechanism of making sure that tasks allocated to work groups and individuals are done in the manager’ s way. Hence, it hinders employees from creating and innovating new way of doing the same task in a manner that would save costs, which oppose the managers’ approach. Management approach, which emphasises control, hinders information sharing: a major driving force for organisational success for a knowledge-based organisation. Stemming from the above arguments on the findings of the studies in the discipline of management work, it is evident that management work entangles multiple processes that never end, which cut across planning, organising, directing, and controlling. In this line of argument, Mintzberg (1990) maintains that the work of a manager is difficult since it often calls managers to over work themselves. From the perspective of Mintzberg (1990), â€Å"brevity, fragmentation, and verbal communication characterise their work† (pp167-168). Since this concern impedes incorporation of scientific research in aiding in the development of managerial tactics that wo uld make managers more productive in their work, concerning Mintzberg (1990), studies in management work focuses on functions, which are easier to analyse. This argument implies that the work of management extends from the key four pillars of management: directing, controlling, planning, and organising. The degree of integration of the management functions with other organisational dynamics determines the productivity and effectiveness of the managers (Watson 2001, p.223). One of such dynamics in the degree to which managers permit employees to take part in decision-making processes in the effort to ensure that managers ensure that work is done through the human resource. This strategy makes the nature of management work multidisciplinary to the extent that a manager has to deploy perspectives of economics, sociology, information technology, managerial science and art, and psychology among others to ensure that all organisational variables are balanced. The findings on the nature of managerial work are important since management functions cannot be to be realised in the absence of the knowledge of anticipated outputs and if managers are not aware of their roles in an organisation and or how the roles changes with changes in organisation work environment and technology. Management and Communication Research findings indicate that managers spend most of their time communicating either verbally or through written communication (Gronn 1983). Managers facilitate things in an organisation through other people (organisational employees). Consequently, it is important that managers are able to communicate effectively about the process of achieving the desired goals. Through directing as a fundamental role of management, managers utilise most of their time allocating jobs to various work groups and individuals in discharging other obligations that are akin to the success of an organisation. Faced by such many tasks to accomplish within a finite amount of time, ineffect ive managers have the probabilities of blaming their failures on obligations (Mintzberg 1990, p.174). Consequently, it is important that managers are able to alter obligations to act as an advantage. In this extent, speech is incredible since it gives managers an opportunity to lobby for appropriate cause. In this end, Mintzberg (1990) informs, â€Å"a meeting is a chance to reorganise a weak department- a visit to an important customer is a chance to extract trade information† (p.175) and hence impossible to achieve without possession of ardent communication skills. Organisations are made of diverse people in terms of cultural affiliations. These differences may influence the success of an organisation in the sense that they may create different organisational cultures, which are not consistent with the goals, objectives, and missions of the organisation employing them. This challenge calls for managers to look for a mechanism of creating an organisation culture that appreci ates the cultural diversities of the people. Such a culture is organised around the common organisational objective. In this effort, top-down and bottom-up communication is imperative. With regard to Blalock (2005), managers utilise about 75 to 80 percent of their total time in communication. In the context of the needs to organise people in an organisation around a common culture, this finding is imperative in the process of creation of a common culture. Hence, a manager who realises that his or her work entails principally fostering effective communication would not feel overwhelmed by the task of creating a multicultural culture. Research finding on the roles of communication in management evidences various reasons why managers ought to engage in good communication. Such reasons underpin the effectiveness of a manager in performing his or her managerial tasks. One of the reasons is laid on the platforms of the expensiveness of failure to foster effective communication in organisa tions. In this perspective, Blalock established that managers’ promotional rates were dependent on their ability to make things done in an organisation through people (2005, p.239), which is not only a disadvantage to the managers’ angle of view but also from the organisation’s perspective because ineffectiveness of managers influences the success of an organisation in terms of its profitability. Communication plays a pivotal role in the modern work environments. The organisational environments continue to be complex due to increased competition that is characterised by excess of surplus in productions. Consequently, only organisations that are able to harness their production resources would be able to reduce their costs of productions, which are important for an organisation to gain a competitive advantage in the market places. Employees are among the many organisational resources that a manager has sole responsibility to manage. Management of an organisationà ¢â‚¬â„¢s employees is improbable without ardent vertical and horizontal communication. Research finding on the roles of communication as a constituent element of management work is also critical considering that modern organisations are focusing on strategic missions to be globalised. Globalisation implies that an organisation increases its customer base. Global customers have different tastes and preferences. Where an organisation establishes presence in different nations across the globe, it is also likely that it will employ people from differing cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. All these factors reinforce the perspective that managers of globalising organisations are increasingly facing more roles in enhancing cultural interactivity of their employees. With the findings that communication is an essential tool for harmonising employees’ pool differences, effective communication is certainly one of the elements that organisations will consider in hiring management staff. Communication entangles the use of words to spell out the required course of action in an organisation. This line of view is also held by Gronn (1983). In school settings, management work is effected through exchange of words to the extent that â€Å"†¦administrative control is accomplished by talks† (Gronn 1983, p.1). Hence, through a constant talk, school management teams are able to accomplish their administrative tasks, which may be interpreted in the context of the management work as encompassing organising, directing, planning, and controlling. Hence, communication is an essential aspect of management in all settings involving organisation, planning, directing, and controlling human resource. Management Social Corporate Responsibility Social responsibly is a new aspect of components of work of management in an organisation. Managers have the tasks of ensuring that not all stakeholders of an organisation are caught up in the battle for conflicts of interests (Tengblad 2006, p.1438). For them to do this job, managers need to harmonise all the stakes of the organisational stakeholders in a manner that is consistent with the goals of an organisation. Literature on management work associates such a requirement with the adoption of principles of social corporate management within organisations. From the most fundamental perspective, social corporate responsibility (CSR) is the obligation for companies not only to act to serve their own interests but also the interests of the society. More interactively, CSR is defined as an â€Å"economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary expectation that the society has on organisations at a given point in time† (Carroll Buchholtz 2003, p. 36). A thorough examination of CSR is essentially provided through analysis of stakeholders. Stakeholders encompass all groups and specific individuals who either benefit, or even are harmed by decisions made by an organisation’s management arm. Managers c annot make decisions that will not harm all the organisational stakeholders if they do not harmonise the differences among the stakeholders of the organisations they manage. Social corporate responsibility is presented in the management work literature as an incredible tool for creating integration of interests of differing people who have special interests in an organisation. As Carroll and Buchholtz (2003, p. 36), â€Å"the key principle of social corporate responsibility is pegged on the idea that organisations have philanthropic, ethical, and moral responsibilities to play in addition to providing returns to investors†. Additionally, organisations gain immensely when they respect the environment in which they are established. Research findings in the studies on management work indicate that it is crucial for managers to focus on how they would hike the profitability of the organisations they lead. They should also look for mechanisms of ensuring mitigation of risky situat ions that may prompt an organisation to hike its weakness and threats to its operations (Tengblad 2006, p.1444). One of the ways of doing this task is through adopting principles of corporate social responsibility. In the discussion of social corporate responsibility, as an essential component of work of management, it is perhaps important to consider how the principles apply to some stakeholder in an organisation, for instance, customers and employees. Employees constitute an organisation’s stakeholders who help in the process of conversion of raw materials into finished products and services through value addition. Thus, they are central to the CSR program. More importantly, they are crucial to an organisation since they â€Å"invest their skills and time in their work and that their livelihood depends on the activities of the organisation† (Carroll, Buchholtz 2003, p.67). The main task of management is to adopt strategies for determining how employees’ inter ests are merged with the main goal of an organisation without creating conflict of interests. It is in this extent that management literature findings on the roles of corporate responsibility in an organisation are significant. One of the reasons cited by management literature for existence of organisations is to create value to customers. Customers are the chief stakeholders that keep any organisation’s business in operation. Apart from ensuring customers’ satisfaction with the products that the company offers to them, an organisation through management arm has other ethical and moral obligations towards them. In fact, customers are important since the degree to which the reputation of an organisation is maintained depends on their perceptions about the way an organisation in question treats them. Treating customers with courtesy ensures better reputation of the name of the business and hence more sales meaning more returns on investment to the investors. Organisation s management obligation is to ensure that organisations engage in business in a long-term basis (Garriga Mele 2004, p.52.). Customers are the main tools for ensuring realisation of this obligation. The issue is thus how to retain first time customers and make them faithful subsequent buyers of organisational products through adoption of CSR principles. To resolve this issue, organisations endeavour to not only treat customers fairly but also offers products and services of high quality at fair prices. Based on these arguments, findings on the roles of management in enhancing CSR in an organisation are very important. Conclusion The role of management in an organisation is an area of study that has attracted the interest of many scholars within the last three decades. More efforts of the studies in management work have been dedicated on establishing the basic functions of a manager in an organisation coupled with delving on theoretical paradigms on how managers can be effective in e xecuting their key functions. As discussed in the paper, these functions are directing, controlling, organising, and planning. The paper argued that managers achieve these core functions by focusing on other aspects such as social corporate responsibility, adopting appropriate communication, and motivational techniques such as empowerment. In fact, the paper discussed these three aspects as the most important findings in the management work-studies. In case of social corporate responsibility, the paper held the findings on its roles in an organisation as crucial since a manager cannot avoid conflicts of interest among organisational stakeholders without paying attention to mechanisms of harmonising all stakes of the stakeholders. Communication is one of the most important aspects of managerial work, which help binding all organisational processes. Findings on the nature of management work were also considered in the paper as important since execution of the management work requires people to know what management embraces. References Blalock, M 2005, ‘Listen up, why good communication is good business’, Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 9 no. 3, pp. 233-243. Carroll, B Buchholtz, A 2003, Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder Management, Thomson South-Western, Australia. Coli, H Klidas, A 1998, ‘Empowerment in five-star hotels: choice, voice or rhetoric?’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 10 no.3, pp. 88-95. Garriga, E Mele, D 2004, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Theories: Mapping the Territory’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 5 no. 3, pp. 51-71. Gomez-Mejia, L, Balkin, D, Cardy, R 2008, Management: People, Performance, Change, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. Gronn, P 1983, ‘Talk as the work: the accomplishment of school administration’, Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 28 no.1, pp. 1-21. Hales, C 1986, ‘What do managers do? A critical review of the ev idence’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 23 no. 1, pp. 88-115. Marshall, J Stewart, R 1981, ‘Managers’ job perceptions. Part I: their overall frameworks and working strategies’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 18 no. 2, pp. 177-90. Mintzberg, H 1990, ‘The manager’s job: folklore and fact’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 3 no. 2, pp. 163-76. Tengblad, S 2006, ‘Is there a ‘new managerial work’? A comparison with Henry Mintzberg’s classic study 30 years later’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 43 no. 7, pp. 1437-1461. Watson, T 2001, ‘The emergent manager and processes of management pre-learning’, Management Learning, vol. 32 no. 2, pp. 221-325. This essay on Managerial Research Findings was written and submitted by user Trinity Osborne to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Art of Effective Problem Solving

The Art of Effective Problem Solving Finding the best strategy to solve a problem depends on the problem itself. Often it is best if students were given an assignment that requires the implementation of their problem solving skills, that they learn all they can about the issue surrounding or even causing the problem. Problem solving is a highly regarded and much-needed  skill in the working or business world – in fact, poor problem-solving practices can do much hard to business relationships and a business’ success. In other words, problem solving is a process of finding solutions to difficult issues. Students in the  academy are often given problem-solving assignments to hone this particular skill set. The opportunities for problem solving  are so ubiquitous, coming every day  to most people, that many do it quite naturally – and yet very effectively. PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS In either case, the term â€Å"problem solving† is a mental process that seeks to overcome obstacles – a problem, or a doubtful or difficult matter requiring a solution – by finding the best solution to that problem; it involves identifying a problem, then analyzing and solving that problem through what is known as the â€Å"Problem-Solving Cycle,† which includes the development of strategies and organization of thought and action. Problem Solving Cycle Finding the best strategy to solve a problem depends on the problem itself. Often it is best  if students were given an assignment that requires the implementation of their problem-solving skills, that they first learn all they can about the issue surrounding or even causing the problem; then using that knowledge of the issue to assess the problem for possible solutions. Planning and structuring are critical in problem solving. Of course, in other instances, creativity, collaboration and sound judgment may serve the student best in problem-solving practices. All problems have two key features – a goal and a barrier. Without a barrier preventing one from reaching a goal, there would be no problem in the first place. And problem solving involves overcoming these barriers and obstacles that prevent the immediate achievement of these goals. Steps to Solving the Problem As mentioned above, there is a series of steps a student can follow to determine the most effective solution to their problem. Step 1. To solve a problem, a student must recognize that there is a problem, and define it. Although this seems an obvious step, it’s not always a simple task. It’s too easy to identify the wrong problem  or even the wrong source of the problem, so the student must initially consider all possible problems. Step 2.  The student should keenly search to identify the causes of the problem. Step 3.  It is crucial that before the student brainstorms all possible solutions that contribute or create the problem, they should first organize all available information, and ask â€Å"What do I know about the problem? What do I not know?†Ã‚  Subsequently, choose the best solution to solve the problem. Step 4.  The student has to implement or incorporate that solution to solve their particular problem. Step 5.  The student must then evaluate and monitor the implementation of this solution – the results – to see if the problem has been solved. This stage of the problem-solving cycle involves determining if the process was successful, through monitoring any changes that occurred that might have led to the student achieving their goal in solving their problem. It may be best to keep a record of outcomes and additional problems that occurred using each solution. If the solution you think is right does not work, or if it does not solve the problem at hand, you will have to consider implementing other solutions and, therefore, complete the cycle again and again until the problem is ultimately solved. PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES Need help with your problem-solving  assignment? is happy to be your academic advisor. We have effectively helped hundreds of our customers worldwide and have developed considerable expertise in problem-solving  assignments. Just email us your instructions, we will analyze them and will assign you a writing professional who is an expert in your field. We guarantee you a fully authentic, well-written  and properly formatted paper at the end of our cooperation. You will be able to use this paper as a sample to work on your subsequent problem-solving  assignments and you will want to come back to us for me professional services! is the service you can rely on! You can place your order right now.

360 Degree Performance Morgan Stanley Case Study

360 Degree Performance Morgan Stanley - Case Study Example The problems at Stanley Morgan are associated with the improper assessment of the personnel of the company. The new system that is going to be implemented should resolve a lot of the inefficiency of the old system. I do not think that the problems the company faces are a symptom of a larger problem. An immediate issue that needs to be address is to ensure that the new evaluation system does not promote individualism over teamwork. â€Å"Teams are groups of people who work actively together to achieve a purpose for which they are all accountable† (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003, pg. 192). The new evaluation system does not have the capability to differentiate between team skills and personal abilities of the workers. Team skills are a valuable ability for an employee to have due to the shift way from individualism in the corporate world. The new strategic direction of Morgan Stanley is geared towards being able to fully access the performance of the employees in order to maximize the capabilities of the workers of the firm. The new system will directly impact over 2,000 employees at Morgan Stanley. Strategic planning is critical to the success of a business because it describes where your company wants to go (Pirraglia, 2012). The morale of the employees is an important factor to monitor at Morgan Stanley. Three ways to improve employee morale are to keep employees feeling like work is more than just a job in an effort to keep enthusiasm high, creatively celebrate accomplishments, and allowing employees the freedom to pursue projects they are passionate about (Erb, 2012). Keeping the morale of the workers at the company high is very important because unmotivated workers with low morale typically are less productive employees. The job performance of the employees of a firm is the responsibility of the managerial staff

Human papilloma virus (HPV) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Human papilloma virus (HPV) - Essay Example High-risk HPV 16 and 18 are most commonly associated with cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, oropharyngeal cancer and anal cancers.3 In females, cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer worldwide, and the third most common cause of mortality from cancer.2 Additionally, 80% of cases occur in developing countries.3 Although low-risk HPVs (such as type 6 and 11) are not cancerous, they can still cause benign or minimal abnormalities of cervical cells, such as skin  warts  on or around the genitals or anus, and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).3 These figures are a global public health concern. This report addresses why HPV is a public health problem in developed countries and evaluates the policies and strategies taken to deal with HPV infection. HPV is an entirely mucosal infection and does not include a bloodstream phase. While HPV is sexually transmitted, penetrative sexual intercourse is not necessary for transmission to occur. Many researches indicate unprotected genital contact is a well-documented mode of infection, including genital–genital, oral–genital and manual–genital contact.4-6 For both genders, the infection rate is increased soon after becoming sexually active. Indeed, half of sexually active men and women are infected with several HPV types at any point in their lives, and some may be repeatedly infected. In 2011, Hariri et al. (2011) conducted a nationwide population-based study in the US to investigate the prevalence of both high/low-risk HPV in 14–59 year old females during 2003–2006.7 They found the overall prevalence of high- and low-risk HPV was 43% among 14-59 year old women. They also found those aged 20-24 years are more likely to be affected by high-risk HPV, and the risk decreases with age. Recent figures show almost 7% of adults are infected by oral HPV during their lifetime.8,9 Gillison et al. (2012) conducted a cross-sectional study in

Willys failures Essay Example for Free

Willys failures Essay The play is certainly not just about the failure of an inadequate human being(s) there is far greater depth to the story. One could argue that the play is also a critique of the American dream, the idea that an ordinary person can just achieve success without too much effort; you just have to be well-liked as Willy puts it. It is Willys obsession with achieving this dream that leads to his madness and his downfall. This could suggest that the dream is impossible to achieve and a person will only end up disappointed if they rely on it. It is after all only a dream and not reality. Despite Willys failure at achieving the dream, it does not necessarily mean that the dream is unobtainable. Miller uses many characters to show the difference in success and failure in the American system. Charley, regarded as another normal person, is actually quite successful under the American system. This contrasts greatly with the financial insecurity of Willy and seems to dispel the idea that this book is a critique of the American dream. The audience will think that Charley has achieved success in the American system; it cannot be too badly flawed therefore. If you look at the play in far greater depth however, you will realise that the play is criticising the American dream. Charley did not sit around waiting for his wealth to just appear like Willy did; who was following the idea of the dream much more closely. Charley went out and worked hard to achieve everything, willing to work from the bottom, and acknowledge that he was working from the bottom. This very different to the American day dreaming Willy, who was too proud to accept a job off Charley and fails to admit, until further into the play, that his job is a low job, at the very bottom of the social ladder. The idea of capitalist values is also criticised in the play such as the way Willy is cruelly fired from his job by Howard to save money and the way that as soon as Willy pays off the payments on his refrigerator and his car they break and he has to buy new ones. Miller is suggesting that although some may benefit from the American system, there are many that do not. It seems that Willy is almost certainly a failure in the play but one could argue otherwise. Firstly, the fact that Willy is willing to give up his life so the family can benefit from the vast life insurance payout, seems, although rather drastic, actually quite noble; a man willing to die for the welfare of his family. It is certainly true that Willy loves his family and one could argue that the main reason for Willys downfall is the failure of his children to make anything of their lives especially Biff. Willy feels somewhat responsible for their lack of success and this does not really show a huge failing on his behalf. Despite the affair, Willy loves his wife greatly as is seen with the guilt he feels when Linda repairs her old stockings. His often-ill treatment of Linda could be regarded as his own guilt and not his failure as a husband. Willy may not seem quite so much the failure as one might think. Despite this, Willy does fail in several areas. He fails to generate a good enough income to support a family and the situation becomes dire when he loses his job. He arguably fails as a father in that his sons are unsuccessful and when they were young he almost encourages them to steal for example. He also seems to fail as a husband in that he has an affair and he generally badly treats his wife. Willys delusion suggests a failure to hold onto his sanity and an inability to adjust with the times. I can conclude therefore that Death of A Salesman is certainly a touching portrayal of Willys failures. I disagree with the idea of the play being merely a touching portrayal however; it is far more than that. We certainly feel sympathetic towards Willys downfall yet we also feel angry at his situation. Miller challenges the ideals of Capitalism and the American dream and this creates almost anger amongst the audience, who feel the rich and great have cheated them. Millers use of a working class low man conveys the idea that every human being has dreams and ambitions not just the powerful man. His is a challenge to the Aristotelian tragedies of old in which it seemed to suggest that only the great kings could ever suffer. His challenge certainly succeeds.

The Achievements Or Successes Of Both Eu And Iasc Iasb Accounting Essay

The Achievements Or Successes Of Both Eu And Iasc Iasb Accounting Essay Introduction Growth in international trade has been on the increase over the years necessitating several organisations to be involved in the efforts to harmonise accounting practices either regionally or internationally. Among those, leading in this effort were the European Union (EU) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) (formerly International Accounting Standards Committee, IASC). This essay will look at background and harmonisation process of the two organisations and evaluate their achievements to date. It is considered that harmonisation maybe defined as a means by which differences are reduced hence harmonisation of financial practices will be regarded as the process by which the differences in accounting practices across countries are reduced ultimately resulting in a set that is comparable (Nobes and Parker, 2010). Background and Objectives The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member countries located in Europe. The EU was established on 1 January 1958 following the Treaty of Rome 1957 (Nobes and Parker, 2010). The objective of Treaty had established rules to encourage free movement of persons, products and services, and capital. This establishment drives the needs of harmonization of accounting and financial reporting. Thus, the most important objective of EU is to create a common market for the member countries. Uniformed accounting standards are required regionally in all parts of EU to encourage the flow of capital, enhance the protection of the shareholders and other stakeholders, and increase the reliability and comparability of companies financial information. The EU shows a contribution to regionally harmonizing accounting practices by established Directives and Regulations which are the two main instruments to harmonize company law and accounting standards (Nobes and Parker, 2010). As as an economic and political union, the EU have issued and established many directives to harmonize accounting practice in regional term. However, in international scope, the IASC is one of bodies are effecting on harmonization of accounting rules and disclosure and it reported a number of international standards (Nobes and Parker 2010). IASC was founded in June 1973, and the Board of IASC was constituted simultaneously by main accountancy bodies in nine different countries such as Canada, France, Germany, UK, and USA etc. The IASC was established to harmonize international accounting standards. IASC has received board range of support for its effort to harmonize international accounting, which has been considered as leading force to harmonization (Larson, 1999). The harmonization of accounting is also supported by IOSCO (International Organization of Securities Commissions), large public accounting firms, trading unions and most national public accountancy bodies. The basic objective of IASC is considered as publishing accounting standards to be observed in the financial statement preparation and encourage their acceptance and observance globally (Nobes and Parker, 2010). In 2001, the IASC restructured and renamed to the IASB. The new organization has shown new more comprehensive objectives compared to the IASC. To be able to understand the objectives of IASB, the conceptual frameworks should be explained. The IASCs conceptual framework included the objectives and the qualitative characteristics. The following table 1 shows the detailed objectives of IASB under the IFRS Foundation Constitution. Table : IASBs objectives IASBs Objectives To develop high quality and understandable international accounting standards to guide high quality, transparent and comparable information in financial reporting. Thus accounting standards will help the global capital market participants and other users decision making. To encourage the use and rigorous application of standards To fulfill the (a) and (b), and take account the interest of small, medium size entities and emerging economic account appropriately. Give high quality solutions about convergence of national and International accounting standards. Source: IFRS Foundation Constitution (ias.com, 2010). The qualitative characteristics of financial statements made by IASC followed the FASB. In order to forecast the risk, the accounting information must include all these three characteristics: relevance, reliability and comparability. The motives of harmonizing accounting practices by these organizations: One is tempted to consider harmonisation objective as having shifted from reducing differences to coming out with a standard or model for uniformity. The motives of the two most influential international bodies involved in the process of harmonisation of the different national accounting systems, therefore (as stated on their web sites), seems to suggest that they aim to develop or create a single set of high quality, understandable and enforceable global accounting standards, (Elliott and Elliott, 2009). It is more of standardization than harmonization as it is less flexible. This therefore raises suspicion as to the true purpose of their efforts especially when we consider their respective current compositions, history, their headquarters and the majority of stakeholders who are likely to benefit. Perera (1989) as quoted in Deegan and Unerman (2006) argued that the accounting standards themselves tend to reflect the circumstances and patterns of thinking of the representatives that makes the committees. Already, IASB seems to have noted similar criticism and Nobes and Parker (2010) states that the trustees will gradually increase the Board membership to include members from Europe, North America, Asia/Oceania, Africa and South America by 2012. Similar concerns were once echoed by Gray, et al (1981) while commenting on the proposal to introduce standards specifically for MNCs and the question seems to be still valid. He submitted that the term standard could be used broadly to mean a set of statements which may include reference to disclosure or measurement issues for the benefit of Multinational Companies. He found such statements to have a different meaning from that intended to achieve strict uniformity to those capable of more flexible interpretation; from those derived from statutory authority, to those which are effectively advisory. However, he relented that the fact that they exist as guidelines or criteria against which MNCs accountability is assessed, qualified such statements to be described as standards. Whittington (2005) stated that the motivation for the creation of the IASC was due to the need for a common international language of accounting to serve capital markets. He highlighted that a common set of accounting standards increased the comparability of companies in different countries and facilitated the easy consolidation of group of companies based in different countries. Although IASB sets standards after close scrutiny from different national standard setters, it is evident that it is involved more with convergence than harmonisation. This may in a way also support the sentiments expressed by UK finance directors during a survey that IFRSs undermined UK (and obviously of all other countries) reporting integrity, (Elliott and Elliott, 2009). Countries still need to maintain their national pride as they exhibit substantial economic and cultural differences. On another hand, it is important to note that we now have more of a global economy hence the development of international standards makes it easier to raise cross-border finance and to compare performance of companies by users who include prospective investors, (Elliott and Elliott, 2009). To summary, Epstein and Mirza (2001) and Choi et al.(2002) gave reasons for the harmonization process of accounting practices in the preparers and user perspectives, they stated that harmonization created huge advantages as listed in the following tables: Table : Advantages of harmonization Preparers Users Better comparison between group company and subsidiaries in preparing consolidation of financial statement Higher quality and comparable information among companies to decision making and Better communications in internal reporting system Reduce the risk for financial institutions MNCs do not have to change their statements to conform to each countrys rules when listing on exchange stock Lead to a well-developed and good functioning capital market, and its a pre-condition for a good economy and development Process of harmonization on IASC/IASB and EU The IASC and its successor are considered to be the most successful body that evolved in harmonization of accounting practices (Nobes and Parker, 2010). The harmonization efforts of IASC can be classified in three phases. Simultaneously, the IOSCO and IFAC have supported to the IASC/IASB and EU. First phase: 1973 to 1988 This period of time is called the first stage of development of IASC. During this period, the IASC set up most of its standards which covered major accounting topics like accounting for inventory (Epstein and Mirza, 2001). IASC focused on achieving compatibility between the existing standards and IAS and giving a lowest-common denominator approach cross the countries. At the same time, the strategy of IASC allowed multiple methods that used in various countries. IOSCO accepted that IASs for financial statement of foreign companies that listed in their stock exchange market (Larson, 2011). Additionally, the IFAC was founded in 1983 to develop the areas which were uncovered by the IASC, such as auditing and management accounting (Nobes and Parker, 2010). The following table shows the detail information of process: Table : Harmonization Process from 1973 to 1988 Harmonization Process 1973-1988 Context 1973 The IASC was founded. 1976 The Economic Cooperation and Development published an announcement on investment in MNCs to develop guidelines on disclosure of information (Choi et al., 2002) 1977 A Report about IASs for transitional corporations was issued by an expert group of United Nations (Choi et al., 2002). 1981 In order to set IAS widely, the IASC had forums with other organizations. 1983 Foundation of IFAC helped IASC to get a closer relationship with other bodies (Nobes and Parker, 2010). 1984 The London Stock Exchange issued a number of incorporated companies to follow IAS in the UK or Ireland (Choi et al., 2002). Second phase: 1989 to 1993 During this period IASC started to cooperate with IOSCO, and made agreement with IFRS for cross-border securities offerings (Nobes and Parker, 2010). However, the IASC was decreasing the choices under the IAS and the IASC needed more capital market so that the IOSCO would accept it in the period between 1989 and 1993 (Fritz and LÃ ¤mmle, 2003). IASC published a framework to prepare financial statement in 1989 and Comparability/Improvement Project was carried out to narrow the alternative accounting treatment in this period. Furthermore, 10 standards was revised in 1993 (Nobes and Parker, 2010). Table 4 shows the processes in this period. Table : Harmonization Process from 1989 to 1993 Harmonisation Process 1989-1993 Context 1989 Exposure Draft 32 was issued by IASC Third phase: 1993-2001 IASC started agreement with IOSCO and IOSCO supported 30 core standards that were developed or revised by IASC. From 2001, IASB started to improve existing International Accounting Standards, deal with the problem that IASC havent addressed and enhance quality of financial report. IASB also involves in reducing the international differences in standards with FASB (USA) (Nobes and Parker, 2010). Table : Harmonization Process from 1993 to 2001 Harmonization Process 1993-2001 Context 1995 The European Commission planned to support the IASC to make IAS link with EU accounting requirements. 1996 The SEC manifested that it supports the IASCÂ ´s objective to develop, as expeditiously as possible, Accounting Standards that could be used for preparing financial statements that could be used in cross-border offerings. (Choi et al., 2002:296) 1998 The IOSCO published an announcement International Disclosure Standards for Cross Border Offerings and Initial Listings by Foreign Issuers (Choi et al., 2002:296); the IASC began to explore a new strategy and organization structure. 2000 The IOSCO accepted the IAS, especially for foreign registers (Nobes and Parker, 2010). 2001 IASB was set up by supporting from the IOSCO and SEC (Nobes and Parker, 2010). The fundamental of EU accounting harmonization is a harmonization of company law which is aim to create a uniform business environment (Mueller, 1997). Harmonization of company law taken by EU is directives, which have publicized 12 directives. Moreover, the forth and the seventh directives made the contribution to the accounting harmonization process in the Europe (Hulle, 2001). In details, the fourth directive in 1978 combines Member States provision and provide a guideline of the presentation and content of annual accounts, valuation methods and the publication. The Directive also pointed out that the annual report must include a fair review of firms financial position and the true and fair view brought from UK was firstly mentioned in mandatory term. Also, the seventh Company Law Directive in 1983 combines National laws on consolidation accounting and the fourth directive together, and sets out the methods of preparing consolidated accounts. Choi (2002) suggested that IASs as the new accounting standards are the preferred choice for EU countries by European Union. In terms of international harmonization of accounting standards, the policy stated by European Commission in 1995 pointed out that it was more efficient to associate EU with IASC and IOSCO than amend existing directives (Epstein and Mirza, 2001). In 2000, a further step in harmonization process was made by EU, which required enterprises on a regulated market to prepare their consolidated accounts under IAS (Fritz and LÃ ¤mmle, 2003). The important obstacles faced by EU and IASC are differing accounting practice, which caused by different countries, nationalism, as well as lack of strong professional bodies and international enforcement agency. Also, the difference in regulatory sources is the challenge for EU and IASC (Houssain,nd). IASC is broadly focused on removing unnecessary differences in accounting principles and practice around the whole world (McComb, 1982). That A lack of synchronization between release of standards in different countries and the formulation of standards by IASC will be an obstacle for harmonization (Rivera, 1989). Furthermore, lack of the professional bodies takes a challenge to implement IASs. It is said that IASC can only implement its accounting standards by its member bodies, not through the own authority. Taking France and Germany as examples, the professional accounting bodies in these two countries have rarely influence setting of accounting rules than setting by the government and governmental bodies, so that IASs can only promoted by persuasion (Nobes, 1995). In terms of nationalism, there is an unwillingness to change accounting practice by accepting compromises. Nationalism may be brought out when attempting to maintain independence of sovereignty. It can be observed that some countries did not make a reaction to attempts of harmonization by IASC (Nobes and Parker, 2002). Another challenge is the economic consequences of a particular country. Various in economic consequences of standards could result in de-harmonization unless considered by those who set the standards (Nobes and Parker, 2002). The international accounting firms are also worried about the increasing interest of outsiders in the profession and the wish the standard setting process to be kept outside of the hands of the government (Samuels and Piper,1985). The achievements or successes of both EU and IASC/IASB in harmonising accounting practices: In order to decide whether EU and the IASC were successful, it is important to review the objectives of these 2 organizations. First of all, the achievements of EU would be evaluated. In the past, countries in European used control of bookkeeping system instead of the financial statements which were lack of law and format. The EU set two main directives to improve financial reporting practices and brought about some harmonisation. These directives approached rapidly throughout Europe and nowadays most countries in the continental Europe followed the EUs accounting system rather than Anglo-American type. The Table 6 describes the extent of harmonization that has been achieved in descending order. Table : Extent of harmonisation achieved between 8 EU countries in descending order The balance sheet translation Differences in translation treatment Value of inventory The income statement translation The way to approach depreciation Examination and improvement Value of Fixed Asset Goodwill Approach for cost of inventory Source: Herrmann Thomas, 1995, p264 Besides those successes, EU had some failures. Montagna (1986) stated that weak regulations, general and vague disclosure made European accounts be the same. In addition, Blake and Amat (1994) concluded that because of no direction for foreign currency translation, deferred taxation and accounting for lease commitments, the EUs directives was failed itself. Some countries have explained the directives paralleling with the national accounting tradition. Some individual companies might refuse to agree to the rules given by EU. For example, 90% of German companies failed to publish their accounts. The EU harmonization also failed at the material level of actual accounting practices. The Table 6 shown above have presented 9 material harmonisation completed by 8 European countries. Some of these areas are not concealed by the EU legislation. Secondly, we will determine whether IASC succeeded. The term issuing standards is clearly successful. IASC released forty-one standards coming along with conceptual framework. However, because of that the standards were criticized for allowing many options. Another objective which should be considered is promotion and observance of standards. We have to study four types of country: developing countries, emerging nations, continental Western Europe and Japan, and capital market countries in order to decide IASCs success. In developing countries type, Saudagaran and Diga (2003) achieved that the harmonization in ASEAN countries would go on and be based on IASBs standard. In addition, IASC had advantages as a global standard-setter to be a major impact in some emerging nations which moved from communist to capitalist economics. In the continental Western Europe and Japan type, IASC has achieved limited success. Some countries considered IASC as a Trojan horse trying to inflict the accou nting standard in EU. Some companies in Switzerland chose IASs for their financial statements, and until 1994 IASs were used by several large companies all over Europe. The last type of countries including United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and Netherlands seems influence the IASC. Furthermore, IASC could be considered as a successful organization as it had a support from IOSCO and EU commission in 2000. Nevertheless, IASC has accomplished their objectives. CONCLUSION References IASB (2011) History of International Accounting Standards Board http://archive.iasb.org.uk/about/history.asp IAS.COM (2010) What is IASB? The objectives of IASB, http://www.iasplus.com/restruct/whatis.htm Larson, Robert K, Kenny, Sara York (1999) Harmonization of International Accounting Standards: Progress in the 1990s, Multinational Business Review, spring 1999. Nobes, C. and Parker, R. (2000) Comparative international accounting, 6th edition, Harlow: Pearson Education.

Project Management Chapter Notes

These tools provide basic project management features and generally cost I than $200 per user. Smartened and tablet APS are available for much less, but the y often have Limited functionality. Low end tools are often recommended for small projects and single users. Most of these tools allow users to create Gaunt charts, which cannot be done easily us inning current productivity software. Midrange tools: A step up from low end tools, midrange tools are designed to handle larger rejects, multiple users, and multiple projects.All of these tools can produce Gaunt c harts and network diagrams, and can assist in critical path analysis, resource allocation, project tracking, and status reporting. Prices range from about $200 to $1,000 per user, or less per MO nth for online tools. Several tools require additional server software for using workup feat rues. Microsoft Project is still the most widely used project management software in this ca destroy, and t has an enterprise version, as desc ribed earlier and in Appendix A.Students and deed actors can purchase software like Microsoft Project at reduced prices from sites like www. Journey yet. Com ($139. 95 for Project Professional 2010 in 2012), and anyone can download a trial verse on from Microsoft's Web site. Many other suppliers also provide trial versions of their product Weighed tools: Another category of project management software is high end tools, sometimes referred to as enterprise project management software.These tools provide robust c abilities to handle very large projects and dispersed workups, and they have enterprise an d portfolio management functions that summarize and combine individual project information t o provide an enterprise view of all projects.

Zoot Suit

Richard Martinez Professor George LIT413 September 29, 2011 Theme Essay Today there are many different pieces to choose from in literature. This paper will be discussing the two novels of Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez and The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols. Zoot Suit is also a play and The Milagro Beanfield War was made into a film. Zoot suit is actually the first Hispanic play to be written. It is to be the only Hispanic play that exists today. The main character in Zoot Suit is Henry Reyna the leader of the 38th street gang.The main character in The Milagro Beanfield war is Joe Mondragon a hardworking family man. These two pieces of work have some of the same themes but one that stands out the most is the Hispanic culture. Zoot Suits Description The main character in the novel Zoot Suit is Henry Reyna and he is the leader of the 38th street gang. There is also the narrator which was called Pachuco meaning a Hispanic gangster who dressed really nice in that time in a Zoot Suit, cl ean cut, slick back hair, and belonged to a neighborhood gang.A Zoot Suit is a suit that has a long coat with wide shoulders, baggy pants but cuffed tight at the bottom with a big chain hanging on the side from the wallet pocket to the front belt loop. Hispanic gangs have been around for years now and are still on the rise. Many Hispanic gangs set new trends and tried hard to fit in with others. In the 1940’s Zoot Suitors’ were the popular gangs of the Hispanics and even some African Americans. In this story there was even a Caucasian in the 38th street gang. The Zoot Suit gangs originated in Los Angeles and expanded to New York and other big cities.Henry Reyna Henry Reyna is a young man trying to join the navy. Henry ends up getting blamed for the crime Pachuco committed. Henry was tried with many of his Zoot Suit amigos. It was a fishy trial to begin with his only way out was to be convicted and filing for an appeal. During the trial Henry’s defense attorney w as incapable of getting any objections. The judge was Caucasian and was prejudice and was on the prosecutions side. During this time frame Hispanics were not treated very well. In the 1940’s Hispanics were looked down on. Hispanics were at the bottom of the food chain.Many time Hispanics were frowned upon because of the crimes committed by Hispanics and not the good things that were done by Hispanics. Hispanics were always stereotyped by Americans. Language In Zoot Suit there is strong language used. There is also Spanish used as well as Spanish slang. Many nicknames were used to refer to certain people. There was also profanity used that made the book more exciting to read. It brought out the emotion in characters. Enrique Reyna, Henry’s father mentioned that calling Hispanics Chicanos means trash and to say Mexicanos instead because it is a better term to use.Many of the terms used in this book are only going to be heard by veteranos today, or Hispanic gangs. Huisa t oday is not a common word used in today’s society. Conclusion Zoot Suit and The Milagro Beanfield war are both Hispanic novels that are similar to one another in many ways. The themes for these novels are culture and pride between the characters of Henry Reyna and Joe Mondragon. These two individuals are both strong individuals that carry a lot of pride because that’s the way that Hispanics carry themselves. Hispanics fight for what is right.Today Hispanics still get mistreated because of their skin color and the gangs that they affiliated with. Both Henry Reyna and Joe Mondragon had to deal with the people in order to accomplish their goal. Henry Reyna had to fight to prove his innocence. Joe Mondragon had to fight to have his beanfield. Another common thing in these novels is Hispanics fighting Hispanics. This situation still exists in society today. Not just Hispanics but everybody is trying to fit in. ? References Nichols, John. The Milagro Beanfield War. New York, 1974, 1994. Print. Valdez, Luis. Zoot Suit. 1992. Print.

An Achievement Gap Created by the Summer Slide Before Grade 9

An Achievement Gap Created by the Summer Slide Before Grade 9 By the time students in the United States enter grade 12, they will have spent 96 weeks, or the rough equivalent of 2 out 13 required academic years, in time designated as summer vacation. Researchers have been bemoaning the loss of this collective time as they point to the negative consequences of summer vacation up to and including high school..   Negative Impact of Summer Vacation Research A meta-analysis of 138 influences or â€Å"what works in education† was published (2009)  in  Influences And Effect Sizes Related To Student Achievement  by John Hattie and Greg Yates. Their results are posted on their  Visible Learning  website.   They ranked the effects of completed studies (national and international), and using the data combined from these studies, they developed a rating where any influence greater than .04 was a contribution to student achievement. For their finding on summer vacation,  Ã‚  39 studies  were used  to rank the effect of summer vacation on student achievement. The findings using this data revealed summer vacation as having  a negative effect (  -.09 effect) on education. In other words, summer vacation ranked at the bottom of what works in education, a dismal 134 out of 138 influences.. Many researchers refer to the achievement damage done during these months off as summer learning loss or the â€Å"summer slide†Ã‚  as described on the US Department of Educations blog Homeroom. A similar finding came from  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Effects of Summer Vacation on Achievement Test Scores: A Narrative and Meta-Analytic Review†Ã‚  by  H. Cooper, et al. Their work updated the findings of a 1990 study that originally found: Summer learning loss is very real and has important repercussions in the lives of students, especially those with fewer financial resources. There were several key findings outlined in their updated 2004 report: At best, students showed little or no academic growth over the summer. At worst, students lost one to three months of learning.Summer learning loss was somewhat greater in math than reading.Summer learning loss was greatest in math computation and spelling.For disadvantaged students, reading scores were disproportionately affected and the achievement gap between rich and poor widened. This achievement gap between haves and have nots widens with summer learning loss. Socio-Economic Status and Summer Learning Loss Multiple studies have confirmed that  students in low-income households develop an average two month reading gap during the summer. This gap is cumulative, and each summers two month gap contributes to a sizable learning loss, especially in reading, by the time a student reaches grade 9. Research published in the article Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap   by  Karl L. Alexander, et al, charted how a students socio-economic status (SES) plays a role is summer learning loss: We find that cumulative achievement gains over the first nine years of childrens schooling mainly reflect school-year learning, whereas the high SES-low SES achievement gap at 9th grade mainly traces to differential summer learning over the elementary years. In addition, a  white paper commissioned by the Summer Reading Collective determined that  two-thirds of the 9th grade achievement gap in reading could be between students from low-income households and their higher-income peers. Other important findings findings pointed out that access to books was critical to slowing summer learning loss. Neighborhoods in low income areas with public libraries for student access to reading materials had  significantly more gains in reading scores from spring to fall than students from high-income households with access to books as well as those from low-income households without access to books at all. Finally, the Summer Reading Collective noted that socio-economic factors played a critical role in learning experiences (access to reading materials, travel, learning activities) stating: Differences in children’s summer learning experiences during their elementary school years can ultimately impact whether they earn a high school diploma and continue to college. With the considerable amount of research documenting the negative impact of summers off, one may wonder why the American public education system embraced summer vacation. History of Summer Vacation: The Agrarian Myth Dispelled Despite the widely held myth that the educational calendar followed farm calendars, the 178 day school year (national average) became standardized for an entirely different reason.  The adoption of summer vacation was the result of an industrial society that opted to let urban students out of the sweltering cities  during the summer months. Kenneth Gold, a professor of education at the College of Staten Island, debunked the myth of an agrarian school year in his 2002 book  School’s In: The History of Summer Education in American Public Schools.  Ã‚   In the opening chapter,Gold notes that if schools were following a true agrarian school year, students would be more available during the summer months while crops  were growing but unavailable during planting (late spring) and harvesting (early fall).   His research demonstrated  that before the standardized school year,  there were concerns that too much school was bad for the health of students and teachers: â€Å"There was a whole medical theory that [people would get sick] from too much schooling and teaching† (25). Summer vacation was the solution to these medical concerns during the  mid-19th Century.   As  cities expanded rapidly, concerns were raised about the moral and physical dangers that unsupervised summer posed to urban youth. Gold goes into great detail about the  Vacation Schools, urban opportunities that offered a wholesome alternative. The 1/2 day  sessions in these vacation schools were attractive to participants and teachers were allowed to be  creative and more lax, addressing the  fears of [mental] overtaxation (125). By the end of World War I,   these vacation schools had become more in line with a growing academic bureaucracy. Gold notes, ...summer schools adopted a regular academic focus and a credit-bearing function, and they soon bore little resemblance to the vacation programs that preceded them (142). These academic summer schools were geared to allow students to gain extra credits, either to catch up or to accelerate, however, the creativity and innovations of these vacation schools diminished as the funding and staffing were in the hands of the administrative progressives that were overseeing the urban districts   Gold traces the standardization of education noting the growing body of  research on the adverse impact of summer vacation, especially on economically disadvantaged students as a growing concern. His work on how American education served the needs of a  continuously growing â€Å"summer leisure economy† clearly demonstrates  the stark contrast of mid-19th Century’s academic standards with the growing demands of 21st Century academic standards with their emphasis on college and career readiness. Stepping Away from Traditional Summer Vacation Schools K-12, and post-secondary experiences, from community college to graduate universities, are now experimenting  with a burgeoning market of opportunities for online learning. The opportunities bear names such as   Synchronous Distributed Course,  Web-Enhanced Course,  Blended Program, and others; they are all  forms of e-learning.   E-learning is rapidly changing the design of the traditional school year as it can be made available beyond the walls of a classroom at varying times. These new opportunities may make learning available through multiple platforms throughout the year. In addition, experiments with year-round learning are already well into their third decade. Over 2 million students participated (by 2007), and the research (Worthen 1994,   Cooper 2003)  on the effects of year round schools explained in   What Research Says About Year-Round Schooling (compiled by  Tracy A. Huebner) shows a positive impact: Students in year-round schools do as well or slightly better in terms of academic achievement than students in traditional schools;Year-round education may be particularly beneficial for students from low-income families;Students, parents, and teachers who participate in a year-round school tend to have positive attitudes about the experience. On more than one follow-up to these studies, the explanation for the positive impact is simple: The loss of retention of information that occurs during the three-month summer vacation is lessened by the shorter, more frequent vacations that characterize year-round calendars. Unfortunately, for those students without intellectual stimulation, enrichment, or reinforcement-whether they are economically disadvantaged or not- the long span of summer will culminate in an achievement gap.    Conclusion The  artist Michelangelo is reputed to have said, I am still learning (Ancora Imparo)  at the age of 87, and while he never enjoyed the American public school summer vacation, it is unlikely he went for long periods without the intellectual stimulation that made him the man of the Renaissance. Perhaps his quote could inverted as a question if there are chances to change the design of school academic calendars. Educators could ask, Are they still learning during the summer?